LCR HONDA MOTOGP TEAM The project started in 2009 when LCR Honda Team has measured their GHG emissions (Green House Gas) in order to evaluate first the footprint and then the applicable reductions. Through some specialized companies for this kind of measuring, some hardware has been installed in the structures inside the paddock aiming to collect all the energy consumption data. The calculation of the carbon footprint has been extended to all Team activities as all the travels (including flights), material transportations, the production of the motorbikes and race tires until the catering served in the hospitality unit. After the measurements, with the help of a team of environmental consultants, the LCR Honda Team has identified some improvements for certified job procedures that will allow LCR Team to reduce its carbon footprint as:
• installation procedures of solar panels power unit in their Tech Division • adoption of low-energy lighting systems in the Head Office and Tech Division• use of recycled paper for common printings or FSC paper for high quality printings
• delivery and storage of any document in digital format to reduce the storage of printed material • use of pure cotton team wear except for the rain coats • waste sorting inside the hospitality unit• use of cutlery and dishes made of biodegradable materials such as Mater-Bi
• use of eco-friendly giveaways • use of biodegradable shoppers made by Mater-Bi certified according UNI En 13432 • use of eco friendly detergents for everyday cleaning operations in the Technical Division and on track• purchasing of local food products in order to reduce the transport impact.
All the mentioned actions helped LCR and will help them in the future to reduce some quantity of carbon footprint. The following step that LCR team organized since some years is to totally offset the remaining emissions through an important activity of "forest adoption and reforestation". To reach this target LCR Honda Team has decided to support FirstFlora which is an international organization based in the United Kingdom. FirstFlora has been involved for several years in protecting a particular region of the Rain Forest in Brazil called Atlantic Forest, which has a unique eco system for both plants and animals. FirstFlora main targets are to protect a part of the Janaina Reserve from destruction. (see details on their website www.firstflora.eu) and to develop this forest year by year. The specific coordinates of the First Flora protected area are: 14°16'36" S 39°07'41"W. Edgar Mader, CEO of Energethica circuit, while inviting the Team to one of his recent events, stated: "The message coming from LCR Team is very strong because of the contrast : a MotoGP Team showing respect respectful of the environment. But for this reason it is very powerful: if they can do it, if they can race at zero emissions, there are no more excuses for anybody else".The LCR Honda Team will continue their funding to the important environment protection program (reducing and compensating procedures) using a part of the seasons budget provided by the partners of the Team.
All these activities mentioned above (reduction of the emissions and the offset of the others including a higher respect of the environment by LCR Team members) gave birth to a new working protocol named LCR ECOSTYLE project, which aims to give clear guidelines for doing the same job as before but in a better way, leaving a lighter footprint day by day or better … lap after lap !!
